The present invention relates to a display case. The present invention relates more particularly to an adjustable angle display case. The present invention relates more particularly to a refrigerated or temperature controlled adjustable angle display case.
It is known to provide a display device for displaying objects or products for sale in commercial environments such as supermarkets and grocery stores. Such display devices may be non-refrigerated or may have a refrigeration system such as a refrigerator, freezer, temperature controlled case, merchandiser, etc. that may be used for storing or displaying refrigerated or frozen objects or products. For example, it is known to provide a refrigerated case for display and storage of frozen or refrigerated foods in a supermarket or grocery store to maintain the foods at a suitable temperature (e.g. 32-35 degrees F.) well below the room or ambient air temperature within the store. Such temperature controlled display devices often are required to maintain the temperature of a space or an object within a particular, controlled range, while providing optimum visual accessibility of the objects within the display device. However, such known temperature controlled display cases typically do not provide a display portion that is independently adjustable from the base portion of the case. It is also generally known to provide non-refrigerated display devices such as fruit and vegetable stands or displays that may have a display portion having a display angle that is adjustable in several discrete positions for changing the display angle. Such non-refrigerated display devices typically include a leg, brace or stand having one or several adjustment positions for configuring the display portion at one of several discrete display angles.
Such known display devices may also have internal shelving or display platforms provided at an angle for improved viewing by a consumer, customer, or other user of the objects or products stored or displayed on the shelves or platforms. Such known display devices are typically fixed devices that may have internal shelving or display platforms that are manually adjustable by altering the shelving or platform angle and providing a support beneath the shelving or platform to hold the shelving or platform in the altered position. Such known display devices may require removing the objects to reposition the shelves or platform and may result in obscuring other objects or products when multiple shelves are provided.
In such known display devices having refrigeration systems or temperature controlled cases, fixed piping for refrigerant and drain lines are typically provided that restrict the ability to move or reconfigure the position of the temperature controlled portion of the display device relative to a base portion of the case.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provided a display device for adjusting the angle of the display portion of the display device within a generally unlimited number of positions over a desired display angle range. It would also be advantageous to provide a system for adjusting the display angle of the display device without having to remove objects or products stored in the device. It would also be advantageous to provide a system for adjusting the display angle of all internal shelving or platforms within the display device in a single operation. It would be further advantageous to provide a system for adjusting the angle of the display portion of a refrigerated display device that is unimpeded by refrigeration equipment, piping, drainage, or other components of the display portion of the display device.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a display device with an adjustable angle positioning system having any one or more of these or other advantageous features.